Shopping for Christmas toys on a shoe-string budget

You don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds to give children in your life the best Christmas gifts

12:43 24 December 2012

Make a list

Don’t go shopping without a list in your hand, otherwise you’ll most likely buy more toys than what you actually intended.

Before you leave your house, make a list of all the children that you want to give Christmas gifts to.

While you’re at it, list down possible toys that each kid would love. Girls for example, may like dolls while boys may like action figures. Get a clear idea of what you’re going to buy and you’ll most likely to save not just money but time as well.

Look for bargains

Bargains are easy to find during the Christmas season as all retailers are trying their hardest to win the business of Christmas shoppers.

If you want to do your shopping online, Amazon and eBay are good sites for bargains. And sometimes people are selling gifts that they’ve never used for a fraction of the cost on the internet.

Be creative

If you really don’t have much to spend, a little creativity can take you a long way. For example, you can buy stockings and fill them up with sweets.

You can also create simple games that children will find interesting. You can make use of your skills, whether you have children of your own or your thinking of grandchildren or niece and nephews.

If you know how to paint for example, you can paint the children’s portrait, their favorite cartoon character, or their family.

Shopping for Christmas toys on a shoestring budget may be challenging but you can make it easier by simply doing your research and being creative.